Dev Tools · 1h ago
Silicon Bug Found in Protocol Spec, Not RTL
A senior architect's question about undefined behavior in an AXI interconnect spec revealed a latent state machine hang, despite 500k+ simulation cycles and 98% code coverage. The bug was in the spec's assumptions, not the RTL implementation. The author argues verification must validate the spec itself, not just the RTL against it.
Meridian48 take
This anecdote underscores a critical but often overlooked principle: spec-level bugs can be more costly than RTL bugs, and verification should start at the specification phase.
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I once found a silicon bug in a protocol spec — not in the RTL. →
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hardware-verificationchip-design